On the Inside
by Slurpee Monster
Summary: Filia and the Greater Beast Master have somehow switched bodies. How are the other Dark Lords going to react to this? What caused it in the first place, and is it reversible? Couples are mostly canon
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Notes: **I've finally come back to Slayers! To be honest I kind of lost interest in the anime for a while, then Slayers Revolution and Evolution came out and sparked my interest once again. So… a few weeks of writing and this is what I came up with.

This is a post Try fic, but you will probably see some plot references from the new anime. There will be Lina/Gourry romance and implied Filia/Xellos and Dynast/Zelas romance. Sorry, but there won't be any Zelgadis/Amelia romance in this fic.

Disclaimer: I do not own Slayers.

* * *

**Trapped Inside the Other**

"Hmm… this is odd…"

The blond haired woman looked down at her gloved hands. She couldn't feel her astral body or her dark powers. Instead there was a strange lightness in her finger tips even though she felt like she weighed more than a house.

A shriek from an infant started her, and she turned to the building she guessed belonged to her since she was standing in front of it and the door was wide open. Curious, she walked up the porch steps and entered the house. She entered the room where the cries were coming from and found a baby dragon covered in downy black feathers.

"Are you the one making a fuss…?" she questioned crouching down and reaching out her hand to stroke it. "My my… you are a cute little creature. I suppose you're too young to tell me where I am hm?"

The baby dragon stopped crying and cooed in response. It recognized the voice and the face of its mother.

_Oh well. I suppose I better get used to my new body._ The woman stood up and grabbed a piece of her golden hair in her fingers. _The power I feel… I'm trapped inside a dragon's body._

Her eyes slowly scanned the room. There was a comfy looking bed sitting by an open window, and there was a dresser and a cabinet standing against the wall on the left. She went to the mirror hanging above the dresser and took a good look at her reflection. Her soft blue eyes widened and she brought her hand to her pale cheek.

The surprise she felt didn't stay with her long. She knew she had been trapped in someone else's body when she couldn't feel herself on the astral plane or the power of Shabrinigdo. She smirked and turned away from the mirror, deciding that a tour of her new dwelling would be fitting for her current predicament. There wasn't much that could frazzle the Greater Beast Master; Zelas Metallium.

She started going through the cupboards in the kitchen. One of her eyes twitched a little in annoyance when she couldn't find any alcohol hidden anywhere. She sighed. What she wouldn't give for a cigarette right now.

"This is going to make a mess of things…" she murmured as she gingerly seated herself at the kitchen table. She needed time to think of a solution… It wouldn't be a surprise to discover that the person whose body she was currently inhabiting had possession of hers.

The baby dragon in the next room started yowling. Zelas cringed at the sound and bit her lip. "And here I was hoping to never deal with children…" she muttered getting to her feet and walking briskly to the room. "What do you want?"

This time her voice and touch didn't calm the little dragon, so she lifted him from his basket and held him in her arms. "There there… everything is alright. Mama is here."

She took the baby dragon into the kitchen and stared up at the cupboards. "Most of them are filled with tea…" she mused before returning her attention to the whimpering bundle in her arms. "I might not know very much about rearing young dragons, but I sincerely doubt something your age would drink tea."

"You 'ere big sis?" a voice called from the front door.

Zelas turned when she heard someone large and bulky coming down the hall. The creature standing there looked like a goblin of some kind, and she raised a brow.

"You left the door open," the repulsive creature said. A fox man peered around the bigger individual and grinned.

"Oy sis, is somethin' wrong? Ya never leave the door open like that…"

"Yes," Zelas replied holding out the baby dragon to them. "It's hungry. Take care of it."

Jillas carefully took the little bundle and held it out in front of him baffled. "Ya mean… ya want us to feed 'em?"

"Isn't that what I said?" Zelas questioned them moodily. "You may leave now," she spoke waving them off.

Jillas and Gravos gave each other a puzzled look before slowly retreating back down the hallway. The boss was sure acting weird today… normally she was very protective over Val.

__

She didn't remember falling asleep, but when she opened her eyes she knew she had to be dreaming. Why else would she be in a dimly lit room with walls made of stone?

"It feels like I hit my head…" she murmured carefully bringing a hand to her forehead. She gasped and brought her hand down for a better look when she realized it was different. Her nails were long and painted purple. Something was wrong… her body felt light as air, but there was something weighing her down.

_I wish I had some tea, _she thought, and she was surprised when a steaming cup of tea appeared. Instinctively she brought it to her lips, and she nearly gagged. This wasn't tea at all! She threw it to the floor, and she was startled when it vanished.

Now she knew this had to be a dream. She stood from her chair and looked down at the clothes she was wearing. The white dress fell low at the chest, and she was shocked to discover it only covered up to her knees. She frantically tried to pull the fabric down, but it wouldn't budge.

"If I can summon tea I should be able to summon better clothes," she told herself in frustration. "Stupid dream…" even her voice sounded different to her.

"Um…"

Her eyes shot towards the voice and she stumbled back when she saw that arrogant monster standing there looking… well… confused out of his mind would probably be the right way to describe Xellos' baffled expression.

"What do you think you're doing here!?" she snapped, recoiling in surprise and disgust. She couldn't believe she was dreaming about him of all people.

"Well uhh…" Xellos quickly dropped to one knee and bowed low in a respectful manner. "Forgive me Lord Beast Master… is this a bad time?"

"Lord what!?" Filia nearly had a heart-attack when she heard that horrible monster refer her to one of the Dark Lords. He was making fun of her temper again! Stupid no good Xellos! She wanted to bash him, but she didn't know where her mace was at the moment.

"Ahhh!" Xellos let out an anguished cry and dropped his staff. He collapsed face first onto the floor and stayed motionless once his screams had stopped.

Filia blinked. What just happened? "Xellos?" she called feeling confused over his strange behavior. "…What are you doing?"

"S…sorry Mistress…" the monster murmured as he slowly pulled himself back into a kneeling position.

"Do NOT call me that!" Filia snapped, and Xellos winced. He was at a loss on how to react. His master was usually very calm and collected… something horrible must have happened to make her act this way. He wanted to ask her if anything was wrong, but he knew from previous experiences that Lord Zelas valued her privacy above almost anything.

"What are you doing here anyway?" she questioned scowling.

"I came to give you my report my lord," Xellos replied inwardly sighing in relief. He always felt more comfortable when he was doing his job. "You were right Lord Beast Master. Lord Dynast does have a few theories about the strange energies you've been feeling around Wolf Pack Island."

"Wait…" Filia's eyes widened. "You think I'm…?" She wanted a mirror, and she glanced down at her right hand to discover she was holding one. Slowly she brought it up to her face. Her golden eyes widened and she gasped. She didn't recognize the face looking back at her.

"Lord Beast Master…?" Xellos questioned not daring to rise. "Are you alright?"

"How could I possibly be alright!?" Filia shouted and the mirror vanished in a puff of angry black smoke. _I'm trapped in some horrible Dark Lord's body and Val is all alone at home! Or worse…maybe IT has my body! My poor baby… Oh Ceifeed I've got to get out of here!"_

It took Filia a moment to realize she hadn't spoken all these thoughts out loud. Instead she had been staring off into space, and she quickly realized that Xellos was watching her with a worried expression.

A moment of silence past between them.

"Has something happened Lord Beast Master…?" Zelas' priest questioned softly, and he bowed his head to avoid any further eye-contact.

Filia rubbed her forehead and sighed. "More than you know stupid monster…"

"Whatever it is… I'll do my best to correct it," Xellos promised, ignoring her negative comment.

_I really hope this is just a nightmare… _Filia thought to herself. "Xellos?"

"Yes Lord Beast Master?"

She cringed at the title and ground her teeth. "Don't call me that."

"S…sorry," Xellos stammered nervously. "What would you like me to call you…?"

Filia tried to tell him her name, but her tongue froze. She tried thinking of another title that wouldn't sound awful coming from Xellos' mouth, but nothing came to her. Then it did. She snapped her fingers and the priest visibly flinched. He must have thought he was out of line to ask such a bold question.

"Call me by my first name," Filia told him.

"…I can't…"

"Yes you can!" she snapped.

Xellos bit his lip and wrung his hands nervously. "Yes… Lady Zelas… would you like to hear my report…?"

Filia pondered over this for a little while. Did she really want to hear a report about Dynast who was almost certainly a monster like Xellos? "I guess so," she replied sounding less than enthusiastic about the prospect. Dynast; the name did sound familiar. Maybe he was important or something.

"But first I really need to get myself some tea to calm my nerves… and stand up Xellos! You're making me uncomfortable."

"Not to be rude Lady Zelas… but isn't wine more to your liking?" Xellos questioned as he reached for his staff and rose to his feet.

"I only drink tea," Filia informed him irritably. _Xellos can't honestly be this dense... doesn't he realize it's someone else in this body? _"Now go away." _I can figure this out on my own can't I?_

"Is there anywhere you would like me to go Lady Zelas…?"

Filia turned her back to him and stared intently at the floor. She couldn't stop thinking of little Val. She was worried about him…

"Lady Zelas…?" Xellos questioned her carefully.

"Huh..? Why are you asking me? I don't care where you go."

"Then if I may…" Xellos said bowing low before phasing out of the room.

* * *

**More Notes: **It's a good thing Xellos is durable isn't it? Pain makes you stronger! Yeah, that's right. I don't mean to torture him every time I write a fanfic. It just kind of happens like that, but I think I like the way I had the Greater Beast Master react… in the form of not reacting at all. I always picture her as the calm and calculating type who isn't fazed by anything.

Filia didn't react too badly either considering where she is and who she's with, but she's also very confused and probably hasn't completely realized this isn't a dream yet.

By the by, you might have noticed the lack of any Japanese in the first chapter. Its my own personal preference considering I watch enough of the dubbed stuff to know the basics like 'Namagomi' 'baka' 'kawaii' 'sama' 'chan' ect ect…

**Updates updates**… I finished the fic all the way to the end, so not having material won't be problem. It's the cursed organizing and posting of the thing that always slows me down. I'll try to update once a week and see how that goes. It may change depending.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Notes: **It took me a long time to finally post the first chapter, and now I'm hoping I won't completely wimp out on my once a week posting regime. School has started so a bit of my time is going to be dedicated to that, but that shouldn't interfere with updates.

**Disclaimer: **They wouldn't sell Slayers to me even if I could afford it, and I really really can't.

* * *

**Different Lives**

Zelas sighed as she finished drinking another glass of lemonade. She was sitting outside 'her' house in a modified priestess outfit. It turns out that after a few hours of practice sewing wasn't too difficult. The garments now fit more to her liking meaning her legs were mostly uncovered, and the front of the priestess outfit was cut low and had no sleeves.

After adjusting her clothes to her liking, she decided to tan since her complexion was far too pale. Dragon priestess' must not get out in the sun very often she mused as she rose from the chair to fetch herself another lemonade. It was the only beverage in the house other than tea, and it must have been made fresh either last night or early in the morning because it tasted pretty good.

Taking her time, she slowly crossed the yard and entered the house. She always left the door open since she couldn't use the astral plain to move around anymore. Opening and shutting doors could be such a bother…

She poured herself another glass of the sweet-sour liquid and looked out the window. Clouds were starting to form near the mountains. She took a sip from her glass and headed back outside. If she was lucky the clouds would stay away long enough for her to get a few more hours of tanning.

When she returned to her chair outside, having just sat down, she noticed the terribly ugly goblin thing and the fuzzy orange guy were approaching the house with the baby dragon. The hatchling was crying, and both the fox and the goblin looked tired and a little flustered.

"I think e' misses ya big sis…" Jillas said as they came to stop in front of her. He held the infant dragon out and let his ears droop. "Please take 'em…"

"Fine," Zelas conceded taking little Val into her arms. Her eyes narrowed at the fox-man. "I want you to get me a pack of cigarettes," she told him sternly, and her gaze switched to the goblin. "And you… go fetch me a bottle of wine. Get the expensive kind if you can afford it."

"But boss… you never smoke or drink alcohol…" Gravos tried to argue.

"Well I do now," Zelas concluded lying back in her chair and resting the baby dragon on her stomach. When the two stupid creatures didn't move, she sat up and glared at them. "Go," she ordered, and they hurriedly left.

She laid back and the little dragon curled into a ball and fell asleep on her. Mindlessly she began stroking the creature's feathers and she sighed. Hopefully the two odd-balls would be back with her order before the sun vanished.

__

"Lord Dynast…" Xellos said as he appeared before the Dark Lord in a kneeling position.

The monster lord of the North eyed him impassively from his throne. "What do you want now?" he questioned. "I thought I sent you back."

"You did."

"Then why are you here?"

"We might have a problem…" Xellos began as he thought over his master's peculiar behavior. "My Lord Beast Master doesn't seem to be herself."

Dynast raised a brow. "What do you mean…? You've only been gone for a few minutes. How can you decide so quickly?"

Xellos chanced rising to his feet without first getting permission. He held his staff firmly and kept his eyes closed to hide whatever feelings he didn't wish to express. "I just know Lord Dynast."

"I don't want to assume anything has happened yet…" Dynast spoke. "But with this new information I don't have much of a choice." His silver eyes narrowed at Xellos. "If Zelas has been affected by the holy circle, you won't be of much use to me."

"I am well aware of that…" Xellos said opening an eye. "You have also refused to set foot on the Island because of the holy magic surrounding it… do you think it might have an affect on you as well?"

Dynast's eyes flashed, and Xellos doubled over in pain.

"Do not speak to me so casually priest… I have agreed to assist you for Zelas' sake not yours."

"Forgive me Lord Dynast…" Xellos murmured shutting his eyes tight against the pain as he clutched the wound that had been torn into his mid-section. "I was out of line…" What he really wanted to say was something entirely different, but the priest wisely kept these thoughts silent.

"When Norst returns I'll have him follow you for your convenience," Dynast told him, and he waved his hand in dismissal. "You may leave now."

Zelas' priest dipped his head respectfully then vanished into the astral plane.

__

_CRASH CLANG_

"Auuugh! Curse Shabranigdo!"

The wolves who'd been wandering the nearby halls took flight at the sound of their Mistress in a rage. Filia had already determined that the castle was crawling with lesser monsters, and she didn't like it. She was hoping to find a book or two on how to use her dark powers and get back to Val as quickly as possible. Unfortunately the book shelves in the library went all the way up to the ceiling and there was no ladder.

Xellos appeared in the doorway making sure to keep relatively quiet as he watched his Mistress scaling one of the book shelves. She was already half-way up too. Not bad.

"Lady Zelas," Xellos called as he cautiously took a step into the room.

His Mistress froze and slowly turned her eyes to him. She balked and again tried to tug down her dress.

"What do you want now filth!?" she snapped. "Can't you see I'm busy!?"

"I was just wondering why you chose to climb the bookshelf instead of simply summoning the books to you my lord…" Xellos replied wincing at the 'filth' comment.

"Well I…" Filia groaned when she took notice of how far down the ground was. She gripped the bookshelf with both hands deciding to ignore the short length of her dress for now. "I don't have to explain myself to you!"

"Perhaps the castle is beginning to feel a bit crowded?" Xellos ventured. He bit his lip unsure of what he was allowed to say to his master while she was currently suffering from the affects of the holy circle.

"I'm sorry," Filia spoke; her voice growing softer. "I'm upset, and I've been taking it out on you because well… you're you."

"You must have a lot on your mind Lord Beast Master…"

"Do not call me that!" Filia immediately protested. Her grip on the shelf loosened, and she lost her balance.

Instinctively she closed her eyes and braced herself. She didn't weigh very much in this body and she doubted a simple fall would hurt a Dark Lord, but she never hit the ground. She opened an eye and saw the surprised face of the trickster priest.

He obviously hadn't expected himself to react in such a way towards his lord.

"I uhh…" he stammered nervously as he carefully lowered her to the ground. "My apologies Lord… I mean Lady Zelas…"

"Get away from me!" Filia shouted pushing him away. The palm of her hand caught him in the face. Xellos stumbled back and put a hand over the place 'his lord' had struck him.

Filia covered her mouth to muffle a gasp when Xellos pulled his hand away and she saw the bruise that was starting to form on his cheek. Why hadn't he disappeared or stopped her from hitting him?

"Would you like me to leave Lady Zelas…?" he questioned lowering his eyes; those hurt and confused lavender eyes. Filia felt a twinge of guilt. Her actions were probably very troubling for him; a monster who lived only to serve his lord.

"It's not like I'm trying to keep my situation a secret or something… I want to tell you, but I can't… every time I try…" that was all Filia was able to say about her situation before she became completely unable to speak about it.

"I'll find the one responsible," Xellos told her. "I'll find them and make them pay dearly for what they've done to you."

"Oh no you don't," Filia said, and Xellos took a step back believing he'd said something wrong. "You don't think I want revenge for this too? If anyone is going to be hurting anyone it's going to be me!"

"Of course my lord…"

* * *

**More Notes: **I'm falling behind on my updating schedule already. Oh well. It should be expected coming from me.

**Explanation corner:** I'm going to answer any questions or concerns and try to explain away plot holes if at all possible. The first one brought to my attention is Filia's lack of knowledge about the Dark Lords. My explanation for this is: since her temple was self-righteous and the golden dragons there were a bit full of themselves, Filia never really learned much about the Dark Lords other than they were the cause of all the evil in the world and that there were five of them.

I kind of got this impression when she was teasing Xellos about his lord being some decrepit Dark Lord in the North. It didn't seem like she really cared to use the monster race's titles or names, so I figured why not go one step further and have her a bit ignorant on the whole matter?

That's just how I took it. I'm probably wrong, but since this is a fanfic I don't think it matters too much.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's excuses/disclaimer: **Sorry about the complete lack of regard I have for keeping up with the updating schedule I made for myself. There are a few reasons for it; forgetting is one, site errors is two, and the third would be homework interference mixed with my lack of motivation. Also there have been a couple of things going on like me getting baptised, and then a few days later getting a call from my job telling me I'm not keeping up with the other workers despite the fact I haven't been called in to work in over a month.

Not that I'm trying to make excuses for not updating or anything, though I think I have some pretty good ones. Just kidding.

I also do not own any of the characters of Slayers or the anime it's self. It's a good thing.

**Friends and Enemies**

Zelas was bored. She had tried smoking cigarettes but realized after much coughing and wheezing that tobacco actually had a negative affect on the body. The wine also had a nasty aftertaste she didn't notice as a monster. Her golden eyes fell on the half empty glass beside her, and she sighed. Having to stay permanently in the physical world wasn't very fun.

A cry sounded from 'her room' where Val had been sleeping. She pushed her chair back from the table and took her glass. She dumped it in the sink, rinsed off her hands, and went to check on the young dragon.

The little creature was sitting in his basket, and he chirped happily when he saw her. Zelas raised a brow and she crouched down so she was almost eye level with the baby dragon. "You're used to getting a lot of attention aren't you?" she questioned him softly.

Val tilted his head curiously before leaping into his 'mama's' arms.

"Boss," Gravos said poking his ugly green head through the window. (Zelas wasn't very fond of trolls or lesser demons for that matter. That's why any monster in her service was forced to be in animal form. )

"What is it?" Zelas asked rising to her feet with little Val resting comfortably in her arms.

"There are gold dragons in the sky," he informed her. "I think they're coming to the house."

"Really?" Zelas questioned somewhat bemused.

"They're armed!" he panicked. "We should get out of here now!"

"Wait…" she spoke before the goblin could run off. "They are my people aren't they? I should at least see what they want."

"Valgarv said the ancient dragons thought the same thing, and look what happened to em!" Jillas remarked peeking in through the same window as Gravos. "We gotta go!"

"Then go hide somewhere," Zelas told them calmly as she placed Val back in his basket. "I don't run away from my problems… at least I never have before…" It was then she casually remembered that she was in a dragon's body and would be much easier to kill than when she had been a Dark Lord, but she refused to become the prey. If the dragons wanted to cause trouble, then she'd give them trouble the only way she could without her dark powers...

She didn't really care to learn how how to use holy magic, and she doubted that such a weak form of magic would be able to compare to the power she had before anyway. It was all rather irritating.

The Golden Dragons landed outside of the village and transformed into their human bodies before proceeding to Filia's house. Twenty blond men in strange priestly garments marched through the street, frightening the humans. Then they saw 'Filia' lying outside on her sofa chair, and they readied their golden swords and spears.

"Evening gentlemen," she greeted them warmly. "What do I owe this honor?"

"Silence cretin!" one of the golden dragons snapped jabbing his sword in her face. She eyed it without any expression at all before pushing it away from her face.

"That was rude," she commented. "Pointing such a thing at a mother and her child outside their own house. Are you angry at me for quitting the priesthood? You know I did it for the wellbeing of the child... I thought that you would be more understanding."

Some of the younger golden dragons hesitated. They pulled their gold weapons away and looked at one another in confusion.

"She's trying to trick you!" an older one shouted. "We all know that this thing is a Dark Lord!"

Zelas' expression immediately changed to one of confusion, then anger. "Excuse me…?" she hissed adjusting baby Val in her lap as she moved into a sitting position. "Did I hear you correctly..? Did you just call me a Dark Lord?"

When no one answered, Zelas continued. "My name is Filia Ul Copt! I'm a former priestess of the Fire Dragon King! I've never been so insulted in my life… calling me something so despicable…"

"But…" one of the younger golden dragons turned to the leader of their band. "You said the spell worked…"

"It did work, this creature is trying to fool you," their leader responded leering at Zelas who returned his glare.

"Listen to me you old fool! I don't know what kind of spell you were trying to use on me, but I'm telling you right now I am Filia Ul Copt, not some horrible evil bent on destruction!"

Val crooned and spread his small wings. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he didn't want his mama to fight the dragons by herself.

"Kill her!" the older dragons urged.

"FIRE BALL!"

The one who'd spoken fell to the ground smoldering. He twitched a few times before lying still.

"It looks like we made it just in time!" Lina cheered pumping her fist into the air, and she grinned. "You dragons better leave Filia alone unless you want me to wipe you out with my amazing powers!"

"You better listen because Lina doesn't kid around!" Gourry exclaimed coming up from behind her with his sword strapped to his back. He hadn't bothered to remove it from its scabbard yet since they were standing a good distance away.

"What do you think you're doing Miss Lina?" Zelas questioned clutching baby Val close. She smirked inwardly as she continued her little façade. "You just hurt that dragon in front of Val!"

"I'm trying to save your life!" Lina snapped. "A thank you would be nice!" She turned her attention back to the dragons. They readied their weapons and glared hatefully at the red haired sorceress.

"If Lina Inverse is here, then this must truly be the Greater Beast Master!" their leader yelled gesturing at Zelas who was giving them her best wide-eyed shocked look while cuddling Val to keep him from crying.

Lina's eye twitched as she readied another spell. "Are you calling me a monster? Digger bolt!" Most of the dragons were able to dodge, but the one who'd been hit by the fireball hadn't recovered in time to avoid the second spell. He scrambled to his feet, but the earth broke apart and he was thrown into the air.

The other dragons used dragon's breath on the sorceress. Golden beams of light shot from their mouths, and this forced Lina to move quickly to avoid being hit.

"Bom Di Wind!" Lina shouted as she cast the wind spell. This sent a few golden dragons crashing to the ground. She grinned and cracked her knuckles. "Still want to take me on? I haven't even broken a sweat."

"We were hoping to avoid a serious confrontation…" the leader of this band of golden dragons spoke as his followers recovered on the ground and took battle formation.

_How delightful, _Zelas thought smirking. _There is probably going to be a lot of blood shed today. _

__

"Why do you keep following me?" Filia asked irritably, and she swung around to face Xellos who froze instantly. His eyes were closed, but he wasn't smiling like he usually did.

"Don't you have something better to do?"

"Lord Dynast told me he would send us his servant Norst… I am currently waiting for him to arrive."

_Great… another monster…_Filia thought. _It's bad enough this Island is crawling with them._ She eyed a nearby wolf that looked up at her with glowing red eyes. It didn't dare approach her; the former dragon maiden was glad for that.

"I'm deeply sorry I didn't mention this to you earlier… I know you don't like receiving help from the other Dark Lords… I was waiting for the right time to…"

"If you were trying not to upset me, your strategy didn't work," Filia informed him wryly. She turned to continue down the hall with Xellos following a safe distance behind. _He acts completely different when he's around his superiors… then again, I suppose I did too. _"Why do you want this 'Norst' here anyway?"

"I'm hoping that our combined powers will be enough to break the holy barrier surrounding the Island."

Filia stopped and looked at Xellos. She had been feeling a strange almost repulsive sensation radiating from an unknown source for quite some time now. Is that what holy magic felt like to monsters..?

"What kind of barrier is it?"

"A holy bar…"

"Don't get smart with me Xellos!" Filia snapped grabbing him firmly by the shoulders. He did his best to avoid looking her in the eyes, and he kept his staff lowered near the floor submissively instead of bring it up to defend himself. "There are several different types of holy barrier. Can you pass through it?"

"Yes."

"Can you see it at all?"

"From a distance it appears a light gold color, but it vanishes when you get close to it."

"Did you notice any posts or something that would be used to ground the spell?"

"No."

"Did you check the water?"

"Yes Lord Beast Master… I did."

He flinched when he realized he'd used his master's title again. "Sorry…"

Filia let him go. She didn't look very happy. "Xellos… that barrier is temporary. It isn't used for keeping people in or out. It's for amplifying spells. Even if you get rid of it damage has already been done."

Xellos' eye snapped open. He seemed surprised by this information. "What kind of damage?" he questioned raising a brow.

"I can't say," Filia admitted.

"What do you want me to do?"

"You said Norst is coming right? Is he a priest or a general?"

"A priest…" Xellos answered a little surprised that his lord had forgotten, though she didn't seem to be acting like herself anymore. He wondered if the spell had affected her mind somehow… but he couldn't allow himself to think that way. What if she read his thoughts…?

"Then dispel the barrier. It was obviously made by people that can use holy magic, and since the followers of the Fire... well…they're dead… and the servants of the Water King don't have a lot of holy spells; the people serving the Air King or the servants under the Earth King must have placed the barrier."

"When the barrier first appeared, Lord Dynast sent Norst first to the Temple of the Air Dragon King then to the Valley of Wind to gather information," he spoke wondering to himself why she had said 'king' instead of 'dragon king.'

"So he thinks the people in that area might have done this?"

"I believe so."

"Then when Norst comes I want you to find out everything he knows." Filia said. She was starting to enjoy bossing Xellos around. "If it turns out he didn't find anything, we'll have to investigate the lands protected by the Earth King."

"And if he has pin-pointed the foolish dragons that caused this mess…?" Xellos inquired.

"Then I'm going to have a very serious talk with them."

"Of course…"

Filia was starting to get anxious. She had never left Val alone for this long before… if only she knew how to teleport!

She was thrust suddenly into the astral plane. Darkness surrounded her completely. She took a tentative step forward hoping that she wouldn't end up in the water.

The dimension shifted and she found herself standing at the water's edge. Feeling relieved, she let out a sigh and sat down on the beach. She hadn't come close to making it back home, but at least she managed to figure out how to move in and out of the other dimension… sort of.

"Lord Beast Master," an unfamiliar voice spoke from the astral plane. Then the figure appeared a short distance away. The monster looked like a man in his younger years. He had white robes, a long silver staff that matched the colour of his hair, and ice blue eyes that quickly settled on her.

Filia reacted without thinking, sending a wave of dark energy at that the unknown monster. He didn't have time to dodge. The creature let out a pained cry as both his physical and astral body were shredded by the attack. He plummeted headfirst into the sea, leaving a rather bewildered Filia staring at the ripples left behind.

"That was Norst wasn't it…?" She questioned turning slowly to Xellos who had appeared a good length behind her.

"Yes it was," Xellos confirmed.

"Is he dead?"

"No… just gravely injured," he replied watching the ripples fade with closed eyes. "Would you like me to fetch him Lady Zelas? I doubt he'll be coming up on his own anytime soon."

Filia sighed as she brought a hand to her face. She forgot how strong she was now, and strange monsters appearing out of no where still made her edgy. "That would probably be best," she answered. "How long will it take him to heal?"

"With the wounds you inflicted on him… I'd say probably most of the evening."

"Oh… that's not too bad. Let me know when he's conscious," Filia said as she phased into the astral plane.

Xellos watched her vanish before letting out a sigh and turning to the water. He didn't really care that his lord had just struck down a possible ally… what consumed him was the empty feeling caused by his master's distance.

She didn't summon him anymore… she didn't speak to him through the connection they shared. He wanted things to be the same as they had been before the blasted holy barrier appeared near their island.

"It's actually a bit annoying being left in the dark like this…" Xellos spoke quietly to himself.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Zelas doesn't want to learn holy magic. I think it's a pride thing for the most part, also it wouldn't really have much of an effect on the dragons who are coming to kill her. It would be effective on monsters, but since she has been a dark lord up until now, she doesn't really feel the need to destroy her former servants or the servants of the other dark lords or even rogue monsters.

Filia on the other hand doesn't have a choice. The powers she has just kind of comes out because she isn't used to having such a huge amount of it, and she hasn't learned to control it yet. Besides, if learning to use the astral plane will help her find Val she's willing to learn.

Out of everyone, I think Xellos (and maybe Norst) are probably having the worst time of it all (so far.) And yes I have recognized that I'd much rather write 'astral plain' than astral plane. I've gone over this chapter a few times to correct that, but I might have missed one or two. Feel free to let me know if it's anymore than two and I'll go back and correct it.

I'll also try to post another chapter next week in between studies and job searches and what-not.


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